We encourage parents and teachers this Valentine’s Day to consider a book exchange as Valentines, with so many wonderful children’s books entering the publishing marketplace on a daily basis.

One very engaging entry is “Sunshine’s Excellent Adventures’ by Reggie and Anita Hill (www.christianfaithpublishing.com). It tells the sweet story of a kitten named Sunshine who makes the effort to experience a new adventure every day, whether that be making a new friend, practicing a new trick, making a trip to the vet, or simply enjoying the pleasures of hearth and home. Consider “Sunshine’s Excellent Adventures” as a Valentine gift for your youngster this February 14th!

Most people today eat in a rush or consume a diet that is low in nutritional value. As a result, their system continues to be acidic rather than alkaline, inviting colds, flu and other illnesses.

MultiForce (www.multiforcehealth.com) offers you a convenient way to alkalize your system in order to maintain the proper pH balance for overall well being, its “Alkalizing Multi-Mineral Dietary Supplement Powder”, in unflavored, natural lemon and mango varieties. This formula is easy to blend on a daily basis with water or juice, and features a combination of potassium, phosphorous, calcium and magnesium. After taking it for 2 weeks on a daily basis, we noticed that this MultiForce powder helped to relieve aches and pains and give us a more restful night’s sleep. It’s not a substitute for eating a balanced diet, but it can certainly combat excess acid in your system that contributes toward low energy and disease!

If your life has been overshadowed by a cancer diagnosis, you owe it to yourself to read “Hope Never Dies” by Rick Shapiro (https://hopeneverdies.com/books/). It presents compelling evidence about the many ways that people diagnosed with terminal cancer beat the odds and are now thriving survivors. And even if illness hasn’t yet touched your life, this book offers some of the best reasons yet to become proactive about protecting your good health before a crisis comes along.

“Hope Never Dies” shows how 20-late stage and terminal cancer patients didn’t take “no hope” as their answer and how being open to new therapies and new perspectives made all the difference. Especially enlighting are Shapiro’s interviews with 5 cancer specialists on the forefront of alternative therapies, as well as the section listing the 83 questions to ask before hiring a cancer doctor.

A variety of hot and cold pasta dishes contributes to a delicious buffet for upcoming Super Bowl parties. Pereg Natural Foods (www.pereg-gourmet.com) offers an exciting array of 100% gluten-free, all natural pasta choices made with 100% quinoa flour. Quinoa is considered by many to be in the superfood category, rich in iron, fiber, protein, manganese and Vitamin B2.

Created using non-GMO ingredients, Pereg Quinoa Pasta is high in protein, low in calories and very versatile. Cook up a batch of fusilli, spaghetti and curvo regate and provide your party guests with an assortment of toppings and sauces. Pereg Quinoa Pasta cooks up quickly, has a delicious slightly nutty flavor and makes a great meal, party dish or snack served hot or cold. Best of all, you can prepare your pasta ahead of time, and keep it chilled until ready to serve.

Can’t bear to be apart from your sweetheart or another cherished loved one this Valentine’s Day? Send a care package like the “Sending All My Love Valentine’s Day Care Package” delivered by GourmetGiftBaskets.com

This assortment includes a hugable, soft, cuddly stuffed bear, carrying with him a lovely assortment of chocolates, including truffles, cherries and cookies. You can browse a whole host of Valentine’s Day goodies ready for shipping across the miles to arrive by February 14th, many offered with free shipping specials, at https://www.gourmetgiftbaskets.com/valentines-day-gift-baskets.asp.

If you love to entertain in your home on any scale, whether it be intimate cocktail parties or lunches, or brunch for family and friends prior to the big game, “Fresh Tastes From A Well Seasoned Kitchen” by Lee Clayton Roper offers you over 170 recipes for inspiration.(https://www.seasonedkitchen.com/products/fresh-tastes)

This handsome volume contains page after page of beautifully executed dishes, each designed to dazzle sight, smell and taste and all utilizing the freshest and most gorgeous seasonal fruit, vegetable and herb offerings available at the Farmer’s Market. It’s easy to see why this cookbook received numerous awards, including the National Indie Excellence Award. If you have always lacked the confidence to set an impressive party, brunch or dinner table for guests, “Fresh Tastes” provides the ideas and the techniques for making entertaining at home easy and enjoyable.

For many people who experience after-holiday blues, seasonal affective disorder (SAD), anxiety, depression and stress, getting your body moving can prove to be just what the doctor ordered. And now William Pullen has designed a simple to follow program called Dynamic Running Therapy (DRT) to help improve your mood and eliminate symptoms of anxiety and stress (www.dynamicrunning therapy.co.uk).

Pullen helps readers identify the underlying causes of many mood disorders that detract from the daily quality of life. This book serves as an interactive workbook, with some sections asking very significant questions that the reader needs to answer truthfully in the spaces provided. Family relationships, anger, stress, depression and decision making are among the topics covered, along with specific directions for participating in DRT by making long walks, brisk runs or slow jogs a regular part of your commitment to getting your body moving.

If you’d like to transfer the tart sweet delicious taste of biting into an apple at the peak of ripeness into liquid form, then you will love Sparkling Ice Crisp Apple (www.sparklingice.com), an all naturally flavored sparkling water that makes a great winter cocktail mixer.

Pictured above is the Green Tea Toddy made by blending Sparkling Ice Crisp Apple with either apple brandy or whiskey and a bit of honey, then garnishing with a cinnamon stick, apple slice and several cloves. You can also enjoy Sparkling Ice Crisp Apple on the rocks or heated and blended with your favorite variety of tea for a nice fireside warmer.

Coconut Oil has numerous health benefits, including lauric acid which fights bacteria in the stomach, helping boost your immune system response. It’s also good for your heart health, and helps with healthy weight maintenance since it boosts the body’s ability to burn fat for energy. It’s perfect for making soups, sauces, salad dressings and for grilling, baking and saute preparations, with a smooth consistency and light taste. Many home chefs also like the fact it has a higher heat point than traditional olive oils.

You’ll never need to go searching for your keys when you attach them to the MagnetPal keychain, featuring the most powerful magnet ever made (www.magnetpal.com).

MagnetPal securely attaches to anything metallic so that it can hold, find, hide or secure keys, tools and any other metal objects. It’s a handy device for electricians, mechanics, hobbyists, decorators, plumbers and seniors. Made in the USA from rare earth metals, the MagnetPal has a powerful magnetic draw to stick to wherever it is attached. The company also makes a telescoping magnetic pick-up stick called the “Grabbit Stick” that is great for picking or finding lost metal objects on the ground, under cabinets, and in places where your hands just don’t reach! Check out the wide range of things that MagnetPal can do at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBDepIk2Htc